The acclaimed film is now available on iPlayer
James Nelson-Joyce in Bird, which is now available to watch on iPlayer
James Nelson-Joyce has become one of Liverpool’s most recognisable faces after star-making roles in A Thousand Blows and This City Is Ours. The 36-year-old is renowned for the intensity he can bring to his characters whenever he is on the screen.
Fans can now watch one of James’ most standout roles in recent years, as Bird is now available on iPlayer. The film was first released in 2024 and was broadcast on BBC One last night.
Bird comes from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrea Arnold and follows 12-year-old Bailey as she navigates her fractured family life in Gravesend in Kent. Bailey is played by Nykiya Adams, who won massive acclaim for her onscreen debut.
The film also stars Barry Keoghan, who plays Bailey’s dad, Bug. The Irishman, who is playing Ringo Starr in the upcoming Beatles cinematic event series, portrays Bug as a dad who tries his best but constantly lets his daughter down with his chaotic lifestyle choices.
In the film, Bailey also seeks out her mum when viewers are introduced to James’ character, Skate. The Scouser has played violent characters before, such as in Jimmy McGovern’s Time, and he again brings a similar aggression to this role.
Skate is a violent domestic abuser, and some of the exchanges with Bailey make for uncomfortable viewing in this acclaimed film. James has won acclaim for playing troubled, intense characters and he laughed it’s worryingly easy for him to get into that headspace in an interview with the ECHO
He said: “I love it. Maybe I’m nosy or a bit of a busybody, but the reason why I love acting is because I love understanding why people do things.
“At the end of the day, that’s what acting is. Why would I rob a bank? Then to find the intense and the emotional stuff, then that’s my job.”
Bird, which is distributed by Mubi in the UK, is a unique piece of filmmaking, as it shows how Bailey’s home life is transformed when she encounters a mysterious stranger.
The drama was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2024 by the National Board of Review and boasts an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics praised the unique vision of the film. The iNews said in its four-star review: “Fish Tank director Andrea Arnold returns to kitchen sink realism – and finds freedom and joy over darkness.”
The Independent’s four-star review added: “It’s a fragile but beautiful vision and marks the strongest blend yet of Andrea Arnold’s primary directives as a filmmaker.
The Chicago Reader’s review said: “Writer-director Andrea Arnold establishes a rich world of complicated characters and beautiful, poetic moments.”
Little White Lies gave the film five stars and said: “Perhaps unexpectedly, Bird calls to mind Spielberg’s seminal sci-fi E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, in which another child forms a friendship with a mysterious visitor looking for a home (Bird and Bailey, E.T. and Elliott).”
Empire Online gave the film four stars and said: “A classic Andrea Arnold picture, complete with striking new talent and moving insight into life lived on the margins.”
Mark Kermode praised aspects of the film but wasn’t sure if the bold ending quite worked. He said: “I think the leap of faith doesn’t entirely work, but I kind of went with it, not least because it felt like a positive move.”
Bird is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer